Evacuation orders to be lifted for parts of Montecito on Tuesday, sheriff's department says

Evacuation orders and warnings are scheduled to be lifted for parts of Montecito on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, two weeks after the community was devastated by mudslides that killed at least 21 people. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, Daniel Dreifuss)

The area east of the locations described above will remain under a mandatory evacuation order, according to a county news release.

"The boil water notice for the area is still in effect," the Monday statement said, adding that the restoration of certain utilities was ongoing. "Residents returning to the area are asked to drive cautiously due to the ongoing presence of heavy truck traffic."

Dramatic new video shows what it was like for one family at the moment a wall of mud hit their home.

County officials held a community meeting in nearby Santa Barbara to update residents on the progress of search-and-recovery and cleanup efforts.

Two people remain missing in the aftermath of the catastrophe: a 2-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy.

The 101 Freeway reopened Sunday following a two-week shutdown due to mud and debris. Drivers may face late-night closures on the 101 due to still-needed roadwork.

The repopulation of some neighborhoods has been slowed due to the destruction of some bridges that were felled by the mudslides.

"It is very stressful being out of your home, now going on two weeks," said Montecito resident Sam Allevato, who attended the meeting. "For many people, they don't even have a home to come back to. Or they're burying their family, relatives. It's really a very tragic event."

The sheriff's department has established a unit assigned to escort residents back into their neighborhoods. Next week, a community advisory group will be formed to answer homeowners' questions about what to do with mud on their property, among other issues.